Conflict can arise at work for a number of reasons. For instance, two employees may have a personality clash, an employee may have a grievance against their manager, or a manager feels an employee is underperforming. Workplace conflict could also happen when there is a rivalry between teams or a lack of trust between workers and management.

Sometimes the signs of the conflict can be visible - for example, in an argument between colleagues, a meeting that turns into a stand-off, or when colleagues send angry emails to each other. Other conflicts can be harder to discover - for example, one team could withdraw from contact with the rest of the business, or there might be an increase in staff absence from work.

Signs of workplace conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees, and this may be demonstrated by:

• a lack of motivation - fewer people volunteer to take on new tasks, and there is little employee input at team meetings or briefings
• unpleasant behaviour - people start to make derogatory remarks towards each other and there are fewer social events organised
• falling productivity - there are likely to be more queries and complaints if people are not cooperating with each other
• increased sick leave and absence of staff - unhappiness may lead to depression or stress
• increased level of grievances from staff in a particular area/section

By spotting signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of:

• identifying the causes
• resolving the conflict
• reaching an agreement

Some managers will find it easier than others to pick up signs of conflict, and there is often an element of doubt.

As a manager you are more likely to be able to interpret the behaviour of your employees if you have regular channels for open communication and consultation. By listening to the views of your employees at an early stage - before issues become potential problems - you can gauge future reaction to proposed changes.

Employee feedback forms or questionnaires may also help you to understand the situation and stop future conflict arising - see preventing conflict.

Every employee has needs and certain expectations at work, and conflict could arise in the workplace when people feel that these are not being met or are being ignored.

What causes workplace conflict?

Conflict in the workplace could be the result of:

• poor management
• unfair treatment
• unclear job roles
• inadequate training
• poor communication
• poor work environment
• lack of equal opportunities
• bullying and harassment
• significant changes to products, organisational charts, appraisals or pay systems

Major causes of workplace conflict

Other major causes of conflict in the workplace include:

Personality clashes

The 'personality mix' within a team can be upset when a new member of staff joins or if two colleagues suddenly fall out. Individuals may also respond to difficult or challenging situations in an unhelpful or unproductive way.

Unrealistic needs and expectations

Conflict at work can often be caused when employers ignore the needs of employees or set unrealistic expectations. For example, arranging hours that make it difficult for employees to carry out childcare responsibilities.

Business values

Most people have very clear ideas about what they think is fair, and your organisation's procedures and policies must reflect this. For example, giving someone a fair hearing or explaining the reasoning behind a decision.

Unresolved workplace issues

For example, an employee might ask to be moved to another team because of their manager's 'aggressive' leadership style. However, the employee may have other reasons - for example, they may blame their manager for a lack of training or career progression.

Increase in workload

Sometimes workplace conflict is caused because people feel they are being pushed too hard and resentment sets in if they feel their workload is unmanageable.

Establish the root cause of workplace conflict

It is important to understand the root cause of an individual's or group's unhappiness. For example, a person in a team may seem to be struggling with an unmanageable workload, but they may be resentful of another employee who appears to have less work to do. It may also be a result of organisational changes, restructuring, or promotions given to other staff.

To help you manage workplace conflict, look at the previous relationship between the employee and their manager, and their peers for signs of past conflict and feelings that may influence them.

Prevent workplace conflict

You can put policies and procedures in place to help prevent and manage workplace conflict. For more information see preventing conflict.

Coping with change

Change can make employees feel vulnerable and uncertain, as they worry about their future career prospects. Therefore, managers should communicate and consult with employees about future changes so that they don't feel alienated and raise grievances.

Read more on change management.

To minimise and prevent conflict in the workplace, you should try to learn as much as you can about why conflicts occur and develop processes to help you address them. Common action points that employers should consider are:

• developing a strategy for managing conflict with managers, employees, and your representatives
• having sound policies and procedures in place
• explaining plans for change and plans for training to managers and employees to make everyone feel involved
• listening and consulting with employees on decision-making - see inform and consult your employees
• rewarding fairly with pay or bonus schemes - see implement staff incentive schemes
• ensuring work safety and managing the welfare of your staff
• ensuring that managers are properly trained and able to handle management responsibilities

Improving workplace conditions

You can also improve your working environment and develop interpersonal relationships by:

• valuing employees and thinking about the business culture of the workplace
• treating people fairly
• communicating the law on harassment and discrimination
• encouraging initiative
• balancing employees' personal and business needs
• asking Investors In People to assess your business and promote training and communication

Continued communication

It is also worth considering:

• regularly giving out employee feedback forms or questionnaires
• keeping regular channels of communication open
• knowing your employees' different personalities

See encourage feedback and ideas from employees.

Equality policies

Having a clear equality policy in your workplace may help to prevent feelings of unfair treatment, and so prevent conflict. Read more on equality and diversity workplace policies.

Conflicts in the workplace could occur between individuals or groups.

Workplace conflict between individuals

Conflicts in the workplace may arise between individuals because:

• of a clash of personalities, difference of opinion, bullying or harassment
• of an aggressive or weak management style
• some employees may feel others are treated more favourably

Managing conflict between individuals.

Workplace conflict between groups

Conflict in the workplace may arise between groups because of:

• team rivalry, disagreements, or resentment
• a 'them and us' mentality between large groups of employees and their managers
• resentment of senior management, poor morale, low motivation, disagreement over pay, health and safety, redundancies, and lack of proper consultation

Groups: patterns of behaviour

Groups of people in a team tend to display a certain pattern of behaviour. The American psychological Bruce Tuckman suggested there were four distinct phases of a group or team's development:

Forming

As the team or group begins to form, there is a gradual growth of personal exchange and contact. People seek to find out about one another, wanting to uncover attitudes, values, and style. This process continues until each person makes a decision concerning the character of his or her involvement. At this stage, the team may appear to be acting effectively, progressing with its tasks, and forming what seems to be a friendly comradeship between members. However, usually this condition doesn't run deep.

Storming

At this stage the team has to decide how it is going to operate. All too often this is done by team members jostling for position with little explicit planning. On other occasions the atmosphere will get tense as 'real' challenges are made. The most important aspect at the storming stage is control; how control is exercised and who controls the team. The team must settle the control issues if it is to proceed successfully.

Norming

Following the successful resolution of the issues surrounding control, relationships and role, the team begins to operate within the agreed levels. People will begin to want to work with others in the team, respecting the roles and contribution of key members. This is an important stage because the team needs the support and interest of all members. Otherwise, the team will fail to grow stronger and often reverts back to the storming stage at the first sign of difficulty.

Performing

The members of a fully established team develop rapport and closeness following the rules they have created. Team members are prepared to extend themselves for their colleagues and real enjoyment of the task at hand is typical. Informality is often a keynote of a team at this stage, but it is based on positive regard for each of the other team members and the rules of engagement. There is a strong feeling that others would be willing to help if needed. Roles of team members have been identified and each person's contribution is distinctive.

Managing conflict between groups.

When a workplace conflict arises, you should try to take a calm approach and not react in a challenging way. You should also not ignore the problem and hope that it will go away.

The best way to handle workplace conflict is to face it and have a planned approach to help you deal with it in a practical way. If you have policies or procedures in place, you can use these to determine how you approach the issue causing the conflict or to give your employee an idea of how you will address the problem.

Employee representative

It may help to have an employee representative and/or a senior manager who can help if:

• employees find it difficult to confront their managers and make a complaint
• you are not able to speak to each employee individually

Talk informally

You should allow everyone to clear the air and have their say. Employees need to know who they can go to when they have issues or problems and that they will be taken seriously.

Investigate formally

It is important that you make an informed decision by gathering information from everyone involved with the issue causing the workplace conflict. You should think about what would be the best outcome for everyone involved, including the business itself.

Use internal procedures

You should make sure that your grievance procedure is up to date and communicated to all staff, discussed at team meetings and at individual appraisals. These procedures will also help deal with issues such as bullying, absence and misconduct. See grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates.

Skills for dealing with conflict

Having one-to-one conversations requires sensitivity and empathy. You should always make sure that you:

• listen to what an employee says
• question them calmly to understand any underlying problems
• consider problems from a variety of perspectives
• lead by example
• comply with the latest employment laws
• have up-to-date policies on dispute resolution procedures

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) employer training programme provides both live and pre-recorded webinars on relevant topics such as handling difficult conversations and dignity at work. See LRA events.

Get external help and advice

Resolving personal conflicts can be difficult if you feel you are too close to the problem.

The LRA may be able to help by providing mediation. This involves an independent, impartial person helping two or more individuals or groups to discuss their problems and reach a solution that's acceptable to everyone.

Sometimes you do have to make difficult decisions about work practices, pay, and organisational rules and procedures, all of which may cause conflict in the workplace.

Effective and clear communication

You should ensure that all communication is relevant, concise, and delivered in a suitable way. Employees should be consulted before decisions are made. See engaging with staff.

Representative structures

If you can't talk to each person individually, set up 'sounding boards' of employee representatives such as:

• Working groups to consider issues such as absence levels
• Staff councils or consultative committees to look at issues like new products and training
• Trade union representatives to negotiate terms and conditions of employment - in particular pay, hours and holidays are matters in law that must be discussed with any trade union recognised by the business. There can be legal repercussions if the trade union is bypassed in such a context. See work effectively with trade unions.

See working with non-union representatives.

Dispute resolution procedures

It is also useful to have an agreement with your employees' trade union on how to resolve workplace conflicts in a systematic way. An agreement will generally cover:

• scope of who is covered by the agreement
• general principles and shared aims
• subjects for discussion
• stages for resolving a dispute
• third party involvement and when you will ask for external help

External help and advice

Getting help early will give you more options for resolving conflict and more chances of reaching a resolution.

If you do ask for help, you should decide whether you want someone to:

• work with you to find your own solutions
• advise you on how to resolve the problem
• tell you what to do

For external help in resolving workplace conflicts, you can contact the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Workplace Information Service on Tel 03300 555 300. The LRA provides free, impartial, confidential, and independent information. See resolving workplace problems - LRA guidance.

Grievances are concerns, problems, or complaints that your employees raise with you. Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle them informally with their line manager, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees.

Having formal grievance procedures in place allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues which can't be resolved informally and to deal with them fairly and consistently. See:

• writing your grievance procedure
• grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates

Your rules and procedures should be set out in writing and comply with the Labour Relations Agency Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Failure to meet either of these requirements may result in extra compensation for the employee if they succeed in a tribunal claim.

Read more on handling grievances.

Conflict between members of staff can have a negative effect on the day-to-day working of your business. It could result in an employment dispute and even affect the health and wellbeing of your employees.

Tips to minimise workplace conflict

The following top tips will help you to manage relationships within your business and minimise conflict.

1. Spot the signs of conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees in several ways. These include a lack of motivation, unpleasant behaviour, falling productivity, and increased staff absence. Being proactive in spotting signs of conflict will help issues becoming a serious problem at a later stage.

2. Address conflict early on

By spotting the signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of identifying the causes and resolving the conflict. Some managers will find it easier than others to identify signs of the conflict but by addressing workplace conflict at an early stage you will prevent resentment from setting in amongst the affected parties and issues developing to a point where a resolution or common ground is much more difficult to find. See conflict between groups and individuals in the workplace.

3. Be aware of the causes of conflict

There are many causes of conflict including poor management, unclear job roles, inadequate training, lack of equal opportunities, and organisational change. Other causes include clash of personalities; increase in workload and needs and expectations not being met. See causes of conflict in the workplace.

4. Try to prevent conflict

As an employer, you should try to learn why conflicts occur and then develop processes to address them. Some areas to consider include developing a strategy for managing conflict, explaining plans for change, involving employees in decision-making, rewarding staff fairly, and ensuring managers are properly trained in conflict management and effective communication. It's also important to value employees, treat them fairly, encourage initiative, and try to balance employees' personal and business needs. See preventing conflict.

5. Have a formal grievance procedure in place

Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle any grievances informally, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees. Doing this allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues that cannot be resolved informally and deal with them fairly and consistently. See managing conflict: formal complaints procedures.

Conflict can arise at work for a number of reasons. For instance, two employees may have a personality clash, an employee may have a grievance against their manager, or a manager feels an employee is underperforming. Workplace conflict could also happen when there is a rivalry between teams or a lack of trust between workers and management.

Sometimes the signs of the conflict can be visible - for example, in an argument between colleagues, a meeting that turns into a stand-off, or when colleagues send angry emails to each other. Other conflicts can be harder to discover - for example, one team could withdraw from contact with the rest of the business, or there might be an increase in staff absence from work.

Signs of workplace conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees, and this may be demonstrated by:

• a lack of motivation - fewer people volunteer to take on new tasks, and there is little employee input at team meetings or briefings
• unpleasant behaviour - people start to make derogatory remarks towards each other and there are fewer social events organised
• falling productivity - there are likely to be more queries and complaints if people are not cooperating with each other
• increased sick leave and absence of staff - unhappiness may lead to depression or stress
• increased level of grievances from staff in a particular area/section

By spotting signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of:

• identifying the causes
• resolving the conflict
• reaching an agreement

Some managers will find it easier than others to pick up signs of conflict, and there is often an element of doubt.

As a manager you are more likely to be able to interpret the behaviour of your employees if you have regular channels for open communication and consultation. By listening to the views of your employees at an early stage - before issues become potential problems - you can gauge future reaction to proposed changes.

Employee feedback forms or questionnaires may also help you to understand the situation and stop future conflict arising - see preventing conflict.

Every employee has needs and certain expectations at work, and conflict could arise in the workplace when people feel that these are not being met or are being ignored.

What causes workplace conflict?

Conflict in the workplace could be the result of:

• poor management
• unfair treatment
• unclear job roles
• inadequate training
• poor communication
• poor work environment
• lack of equal opportunities
• bullying and harassment
• significant changes to products, organisational charts, appraisals or pay systems

Major causes of workplace conflict

Other major causes of conflict in the workplace include:

Personality clashes

The 'personality mix' within a team can be upset when a new member of staff joins or if two colleagues suddenly fall out. Individuals may also respond to difficult or challenging situations in an unhelpful or unproductive way.

Unrealistic needs and expectations

Conflict at work can often be caused when employers ignore the needs of employees or set unrealistic expectations. For example, arranging hours that make it difficult for employees to carry out childcare responsibilities.

Business values

Most people have very clear ideas about what they think is fair, and your organisation's procedures and policies must reflect this. For example, giving someone a fair hearing or explaining the reasoning behind a decision.

Unresolved workplace issues

For example, an employee might ask to be moved to another team because of their manager's 'aggressive' leadership style. However, the employee may have other reasons - for example, they may blame their manager for a lack of training or career progression.

Increase in workload

Sometimes workplace conflict is caused because people feel they are being pushed too hard and resentment sets in if they feel their workload is unmanageable.

Establish the root cause of workplace conflict

It is important to understand the root cause of an individual's or group's unhappiness. For example, a person in a team may seem to be struggling with an unmanageable workload, but they may be resentful of another employee who appears to have less work to do. It may also be a result of organisational changes, restructuring, or promotions given to other staff.

To help you manage workplace conflict, look at the previous relationship between the employee and their manager, and their peers for signs of past conflict and feelings that may influence them.

Prevent workplace conflict

You can put policies and procedures in place to help prevent and manage workplace conflict. For more information see preventing conflict.

Coping with change

Change can make employees feel vulnerable and uncertain, as they worry about their future career prospects. Therefore, managers should communicate and consult with employees about future changes so that they don't feel alienated and raise grievances.

Read more on change management.

To minimise and prevent conflict in the workplace, you should try to learn as much as you can about why conflicts occur and develop processes to help you address them. Common action points that employers should consider are:

• developing a strategy for managing conflict with managers, employees, and your representatives
• having sound policies and procedures in place
• explaining plans for change and plans for training to managers and employees to make everyone feel involved
• listening and consulting with employees on decision-making - see inform and consult your employees
• rewarding fairly with pay or bonus schemes - see implement staff incentive schemes
• ensuring work safety and managing the welfare of your staff
• ensuring that managers are properly trained and able to handle management responsibilities

Improving workplace conditions

You can also improve your working environment and develop interpersonal relationships by:

• valuing employees and thinking about the business culture of the workplace
• treating people fairly
• communicating the law on harassment and discrimination
• encouraging initiative
• balancing employees' personal and business needs
• asking Investors In People to assess your business and promote training and communication

Continued communication

It is also worth considering:

• regularly giving out employee feedback forms or questionnaires
• keeping regular channels of communication open
• knowing your employees' different personalities

See encourage feedback and ideas from employees.

Equality policies

Having a clear equality policy in your workplace may help to prevent feelings of unfair treatment, and so prevent conflict. Read more on equality and diversity workplace policies.

Conflicts in the workplace could occur between individuals or groups.

Workplace conflict between individuals

Conflicts in the workplace may arise between individuals because:

• of a clash of personalities, difference of opinion, bullying or harassment
• of an aggressive or weak management style
• some employees may feel others are treated more favourably

Managing conflict between individuals.

Workplace conflict between groups

Conflict in the workplace may arise between groups because of:

• team rivalry, disagreements, or resentment
• a 'them and us' mentality between large groups of employees and their managers
• resentment of senior management, poor morale, low motivation, disagreement over pay, health and safety, redundancies, and lack of proper consultation

Groups: patterns of behaviour

Groups of people in a team tend to display a certain pattern of behaviour. The American psychological Bruce Tuckman suggested there were four distinct phases of a group or team's development:

Forming

As the team or group begins to form, there is a gradual growth of personal exchange and contact. People seek to find out about one another, wanting to uncover attitudes, values, and style. This process continues until each person makes a decision concerning the character of his or her involvement. At this stage, the team may appear to be acting effectively, progressing with its tasks, and forming what seems to be a friendly comradeship between members. However, usually this condition doesn't run deep.

Storming

At this stage the team has to decide how it is going to operate. All too often this is done by team members jostling for position with little explicit planning. On other occasions the atmosphere will get tense as 'real' challenges are made. The most important aspect at the storming stage is control; how control is exercised and who controls the team. The team must settle the control issues if it is to proceed successfully.

Norming

Following the successful resolution of the issues surrounding control, relationships and role, the team begins to operate within the agreed levels. People will begin to want to work with others in the team, respecting the roles and contribution of key members. This is an important stage because the team needs the support and interest of all members. Otherwise, the team will fail to grow stronger and often reverts back to the storming stage at the first sign of difficulty.

Performing

The members of a fully established team develop rapport and closeness following the rules they have created. Team members are prepared to extend themselves for their colleagues and real enjoyment of the task at hand is typical. Informality is often a keynote of a team at this stage, but it is based on positive regard for each of the other team members and the rules of engagement. There is a strong feeling that others would be willing to help if needed. Roles of team members have been identified and each person's contribution is distinctive.

Managing conflict between groups.

When a workplace conflict arises, you should try to take a calm approach and not react in a challenging way. You should also not ignore the problem and hope that it will go away.

The best way to handle workplace conflict is to face it and have a planned approach to help you deal with it in a practical way. If you have policies or procedures in place, you can use these to determine how you approach the issue causing the conflict or to give your employee an idea of how you will address the problem.

Employee representative

It may help to have an employee representative and/or a senior manager who can help if:

• employees find it difficult to confront their managers and make a complaint
• you are not able to speak to each employee individually

Talk informally

You should allow everyone to clear the air and have their say. Employees need to know who they can go to when they have issues or problems and that they will be taken seriously.

Investigate formally

It is important that you make an informed decision by gathering information from everyone involved with the issue causing the workplace conflict. You should think about what would be the best outcome for everyone involved, including the business itself.

Use internal procedures

You should make sure that your grievance procedure is up to date and communicated to all staff, discussed at team meetings and at individual appraisals. These procedures will also help deal with issues such as bullying, absence and misconduct. See grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates.

Skills for dealing with conflict

Having one-to-one conversations requires sensitivity and empathy. You should always make sure that you:

• listen to what an employee says
• question them calmly to understand any underlying problems
• consider problems from a variety of perspectives
• lead by example
• comply with the latest employment laws
• have up-to-date policies on dispute resolution procedures

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) employer training programme provides both live and pre-recorded webinars on relevant topics such as handling difficult conversations and dignity at work. See LRA events.

Get external help and advice

Resolving personal conflicts can be difficult if you feel you are too close to the problem.

The LRA may be able to help by providing mediation. This involves an independent, impartial person helping two or more individuals or groups to discuss their problems and reach a solution that's acceptable to everyone.

Sometimes you do have to make difficult decisions about work practices, pay, and organisational rules and procedures, all of which may cause conflict in the workplace.

Effective and clear communication

You should ensure that all communication is relevant, concise, and delivered in a suitable way. Employees should be consulted before decisions are made. See engaging with staff.

Representative structures

If you can't talk to each person individually, set up 'sounding boards' of employee representatives such as:

• Working groups to consider issues such as absence levels
• Staff councils or consultative committees to look at issues like new products and training
• Trade union representatives to negotiate terms and conditions of employment - in particular pay, hours and holidays are matters in law that must be discussed with any trade union recognised by the business. There can be legal repercussions if the trade union is bypassed in such a context. See work effectively with trade unions.

See working with non-union representatives.

Dispute resolution procedures

It is also useful to have an agreement with your employees' trade union on how to resolve workplace conflicts in a systematic way. An agreement will generally cover:

• scope of who is covered by the agreement
• general principles and shared aims
• subjects for discussion
• stages for resolving a dispute
• third party involvement and when you will ask for external help

External help and advice

Getting help early will give you more options for resolving conflict and more chances of reaching a resolution.

If you do ask for help, you should decide whether you want someone to:

• work with you to find your own solutions
• advise you on how to resolve the problem
• tell you what to do

For external help in resolving workplace conflicts, you can contact the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Workplace Information Service on Tel 03300 555 300. The LRA provides free, impartial, confidential, and independent information. See resolving workplace problems - LRA guidance.

Grievances are concerns, problems, or complaints that your employees raise with you. Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle them informally with their line manager, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees.

Having formal grievance procedures in place allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues which can't be resolved informally and to deal with them fairly and consistently. See:

• writing your grievance procedure
• grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates

Your rules and procedures should be set out in writing and comply with the Labour Relations Agency Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Failure to meet either of these requirements may result in extra compensation for the employee if they succeed in a tribunal claim.

Read more on handling grievances.

Conflict between members of staff can have a negative effect on the day-to-day working of your business. It could result in an employment dispute and even affect the health and wellbeing of your employees.

Tips to minimise workplace conflict

The following top tips will help you to manage relationships within your business and minimise conflict.

1. Spot the signs of conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees in several ways. These include a lack of motivation, unpleasant behaviour, falling productivity, and increased staff absence. Being proactive in spotting signs of conflict will help issues becoming a serious problem at a later stage.

2. Address conflict early on

By spotting the signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of identifying the causes and resolving the conflict. Some managers will find it easier than others to identify signs of the conflict but by addressing workplace conflict at an early stage you will prevent resentment from setting in amongst the affected parties and issues developing to a point where a resolution or common ground is much more difficult to find. See conflict between groups and individuals in the workplace.

3. Be aware of the causes of conflict

There are many causes of conflict including poor management, unclear job roles, inadequate training, lack of equal opportunities, and organisational change. Other causes include clash of personalities; increase in workload and needs and expectations not being met. See causes of conflict in the workplace.

4. Try to prevent conflict

As an employer, you should try to learn why conflicts occur and then develop processes to address them. Some areas to consider include developing a strategy for managing conflict, explaining plans for change, involving employees in decision-making, rewarding staff fairly, and ensuring managers are properly trained in conflict management and effective communication. It's also important to value employees, treat them fairly, encourage initiative, and try to balance employees' personal and business needs. See preventing conflict.

5. Have a formal grievance procedure in place

Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle any grievances informally, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees. Doing this allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues that cannot be resolved informally and deal with them fairly and consistently. See managing conflict: formal complaints procedures.

Conflict can arise at work for a number of reasons. For instance, two employees may have a personality clash, an employee may have a grievance against their manager, or a manager feels an employee is underperforming. Workplace conflict could also happen when there is a rivalry between teams or a lack of trust between workers and management.

Sometimes the signs of the conflict can be visible - for example, in an argument between colleagues, a meeting that turns into a stand-off, or when colleagues send angry emails to each other. Other conflicts can be harder to discover - for example, one team could withdraw from contact with the rest of the business, or there might be an increase in staff absence from work.

Signs of workplace conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees, and this may be demonstrated by:

• a lack of motivation - fewer people volunteer to take on new tasks, and there is little employee input at team meetings or briefings
• unpleasant behaviour - people start to make derogatory remarks towards each other and there are fewer social events organised
• falling productivity - there are likely to be more queries and complaints if people are not cooperating with each other
• increased sick leave and absence of staff - unhappiness may lead to depression or stress
• increased level of grievances from staff in a particular area/section

By spotting signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of:

• identifying the causes
• resolving the conflict
• reaching an agreement

Some managers will find it easier than others to pick up signs of conflict, and there is often an element of doubt.

As a manager you are more likely to be able to interpret the behaviour of your employees if you have regular channels for open communication and consultation. By listening to the views of your employees at an early stage - before issues become potential problems - you can gauge future reaction to proposed changes.

Employee feedback forms or questionnaires may also help you to understand the situation and stop future conflict arising - see preventing conflict.

Every employee has needs and certain expectations at work, and conflict could arise in the workplace when people feel that these are not being met or are being ignored.

What causes workplace conflict?

Conflict in the workplace could be the result of:

• poor management
• unfair treatment
• unclear job roles
• inadequate training
• poor communication
• poor work environment
• lack of equal opportunities
• bullying and harassment
• significant changes to products, organisational charts, appraisals or pay systems

Major causes of workplace conflict

Other major causes of conflict in the workplace include:

Personality clashes

The 'personality mix' within a team can be upset when a new member of staff joins or if two colleagues suddenly fall out. Individuals may also respond to difficult or challenging situations in an unhelpful or unproductive way.

Unrealistic needs and expectations

Conflict at work can often be caused when employers ignore the needs of employees or set unrealistic expectations. For example, arranging hours that make it difficult for employees to carry out childcare responsibilities.

Business values

Most people have very clear ideas about what they think is fair, and your organisation's procedures and policies must reflect this. For example, giving someone a fair hearing or explaining the reasoning behind a decision.

Unresolved workplace issues

For example, an employee might ask to be moved to another team because of their manager's 'aggressive' leadership style. However, the employee may have other reasons - for example, they may blame their manager for a lack of training or career progression.

Increase in workload

Sometimes workplace conflict is caused because people feel they are being pushed too hard and resentment sets in if they feel their workload is unmanageable.

Establish the root cause of workplace conflict

It is important to understand the root cause of an individual's or group's unhappiness. For example, a person in a team may seem to be struggling with an unmanageable workload, but they may be resentful of another employee who appears to have less work to do. It may also be a result of organisational changes, restructuring, or promotions given to other staff.

To help you manage workplace conflict, look at the previous relationship between the employee and their manager, and their peers for signs of past conflict and feelings that may influence them.

Prevent workplace conflict

You can put policies and procedures in place to help prevent and manage workplace conflict. For more information see preventing conflict.

Coping with change

Change can make employees feel vulnerable and uncertain, as they worry about their future career prospects. Therefore, managers should communicate and consult with employees about future changes so that they don't feel alienated and raise grievances.

Read more on change management.

To minimise and prevent conflict in the workplace, you should try to learn as much as you can about why conflicts occur and develop processes to help you address them. Common action points that employers should consider are:

• developing a strategy for managing conflict with managers, employees, and your representatives
• having sound policies and procedures in place
• explaining plans for change and plans for training to managers and employees to make everyone feel involved
• listening and consulting with employees on decision-making - see inform and consult your employees
• rewarding fairly with pay or bonus schemes - see implement staff incentive schemes
• ensuring work safety and managing the welfare of your staff
• ensuring that managers are properly trained and able to handle management responsibilities

Improving workplace conditions

You can also improve your working environment and develop interpersonal relationships by:

• valuing employees and thinking about the business culture of the workplace
• treating people fairly
• communicating the law on harassment and discrimination
• encouraging initiative
• balancing employees' personal and business needs
• asking Investors In People to assess your business and promote training and communication

Continued communication

It is also worth considering:

• regularly giving out employee feedback forms or questionnaires
• keeping regular channels of communication open
• knowing your employees' different personalities

See encourage feedback and ideas from employees.

Equality policies

Having a clear equality policy in your workplace may help to prevent feelings of unfair treatment, and so prevent conflict. Read more on equality and diversity workplace policies.

Conflicts in the workplace could occur between individuals or groups.

Workplace conflict between individuals

Conflicts in the workplace may arise between individuals because:

• of a clash of personalities, difference of opinion, bullying or harassment
• of an aggressive or weak management style
• some employees may feel others are treated more favourably

Managing conflict between individuals.

Workplace conflict between groups

Conflict in the workplace may arise between groups because of:

• team rivalry, disagreements, or resentment
• a 'them and us' mentality between large groups of employees and their managers
• resentment of senior management, poor morale, low motivation, disagreement over pay, health and safety, redundancies, and lack of proper consultation

Groups: patterns of behaviour

Groups of people in a team tend to display a certain pattern of behaviour. The American psychological Bruce Tuckman suggested there were four distinct phases of a group or team's development:

Forming

As the team or group begins to form, there is a gradual growth of personal exchange and contact. People seek to find out about one another, wanting to uncover attitudes, values, and style. This process continues until each person makes a decision concerning the character of his or her involvement. At this stage, the team may appear to be acting effectively, progressing with its tasks, and forming what seems to be a friendly comradeship between members. However, usually this condition doesn't run deep.

Storming

At this stage the team has to decide how it is going to operate. All too often this is done by team members jostling for position with little explicit planning. On other occasions the atmosphere will get tense as 'real' challenges are made. The most important aspect at the storming stage is control; how control is exercised and who controls the team. The team must settle the control issues if it is to proceed successfully.

Norming

Following the successful resolution of the issues surrounding control, relationships and role, the team begins to operate within the agreed levels. People will begin to want to work with others in the team, respecting the roles and contribution of key members. This is an important stage because the team needs the support and interest of all members. Otherwise, the team will fail to grow stronger and often reverts back to the storming stage at the first sign of difficulty.

Performing

The members of a fully established team develop rapport and closeness following the rules they have created. Team members are prepared to extend themselves for their colleagues and real enjoyment of the task at hand is typical. Informality is often a keynote of a team at this stage, but it is based on positive regard for each of the other team members and the rules of engagement. There is a strong feeling that others would be willing to help if needed. Roles of team members have been identified and each person's contribution is distinctive.

Managing conflict between groups.

When a workplace conflict arises, you should try to take a calm approach and not react in a challenging way. You should also not ignore the problem and hope that it will go away.

The best way to handle workplace conflict is to face it and have a planned approach to help you deal with it in a practical way. If you have policies or procedures in place, you can use these to determine how you approach the issue causing the conflict or to give your employee an idea of how you will address the problem.

Employee representative

It may help to have an employee representative and/or a senior manager who can help if:

• employees find it difficult to confront their managers and make a complaint
• you are not able to speak to each employee individually

Talk informally

You should allow everyone to clear the air and have their say. Employees need to know who they can go to when they have issues or problems and that they will be taken seriously.

Investigate formally

It is important that you make an informed decision by gathering information from everyone involved with the issue causing the workplace conflict. You should think about what would be the best outcome for everyone involved, including the business itself.

Use internal procedures

You should make sure that your grievance procedure is up to date and communicated to all staff, discussed at team meetings and at individual appraisals. These procedures will also help deal with issues such as bullying, absence and misconduct. See grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates.

Skills for dealing with conflict

Having one-to-one conversations requires sensitivity and empathy. You should always make sure that you:

• listen to what an employee says
• question them calmly to understand any underlying problems
• consider problems from a variety of perspectives
• lead by example
• comply with the latest employment laws
• have up-to-date policies on dispute resolution procedures

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) employer training programme provides both live and pre-recorded webinars on relevant topics such as handling difficult conversations and dignity at work. See LRA events.

Get external help and advice

Resolving personal conflicts can be difficult if you feel you are too close to the problem.

The LRA may be able to help by providing mediation. This involves an independent, impartial person helping two or more individuals or groups to discuss their problems and reach a solution that's acceptable to everyone.

Sometimes you do have to make difficult decisions about work practices, pay, and organisational rules and procedures, all of which may cause conflict in the workplace.

Effective and clear communication

You should ensure that all communication is relevant, concise, and delivered in a suitable way. Employees should be consulted before decisions are made. See engaging with staff.

Representative structures

If you can't talk to each person individually, set up 'sounding boards' of employee representatives such as:

• Working groups to consider issues such as absence levels
• Staff councils or consultative committees to look at issues like new products and training
• Trade union representatives to negotiate terms and conditions of employment - in particular pay, hours and holidays are matters in law that must be discussed with any trade union recognised by the business. There can be legal repercussions if the trade union is bypassed in such a context. See work effectively with trade unions.

See working with non-union representatives.

Dispute resolution procedures

It is also useful to have an agreement with your employees' trade union on how to resolve workplace conflicts in a systematic way. An agreement will generally cover:

• scope of who is covered by the agreement
• general principles and shared aims
• subjects for discussion
• stages for resolving a dispute
• third party involvement and when you will ask for external help

External help and advice

Getting help early will give you more options for resolving conflict and more chances of reaching a resolution.

If you do ask for help, you should decide whether you want someone to:

• work with you to find your own solutions
• advise you on how to resolve the problem
• tell you what to do

For external help in resolving workplace conflicts, you can contact the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Workplace Information Service on Tel 03300 555 300. The LRA provides free, impartial, confidential, and independent information. See resolving workplace problems - LRA guidance.

Grievances are concerns, problems, or complaints that your employees raise with you. Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle them informally with their line manager, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees.

Having formal grievance procedures in place allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues which can't be resolved informally and to deal with them fairly and consistently. See:

• writing your grievance procedure
• grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates

Your rules and procedures should be set out in writing and comply with the Labour Relations Agency Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Failure to meet either of these requirements may result in extra compensation for the employee if they succeed in a tribunal claim.

Read more on handling grievances.

Conflict between members of staff can have a negative effect on the day-to-day working of your business. It could result in an employment dispute and even affect the health and wellbeing of your employees.

Tips to minimise workplace conflict

The following top tips will help you to manage relationships within your business and minimise conflict.

1. Spot the signs of conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees in several ways. These include a lack of motivation, unpleasant behaviour, falling productivity, and increased staff absence. Being proactive in spotting signs of conflict will help issues becoming a serious problem at a later stage.

2. Address conflict early on

By spotting the signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of identifying the causes and resolving the conflict. Some managers will find it easier than others to identify signs of the conflict but by addressing workplace conflict at an early stage you will prevent resentment from setting in amongst the affected parties and issues developing to a point where a resolution or common ground is much more difficult to find. See conflict between groups and individuals in the workplace.

3. Be aware of the causes of conflict

There are many causes of conflict including poor management, unclear job roles, inadequate training, lack of equal opportunities, and organisational change. Other causes include clash of personalities; increase in workload and needs and expectations not being met. See causes of conflict in the workplace.

4. Try to prevent conflict

As an employer, you should try to learn why conflicts occur and then develop processes to address them. Some areas to consider include developing a strategy for managing conflict, explaining plans for change, involving employees in decision-making, rewarding staff fairly, and ensuring managers are properly trained in conflict management and effective communication. It's also important to value employees, treat them fairly, encourage initiative, and try to balance employees' personal and business needs. See preventing conflict.

5. Have a formal grievance procedure in place

Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle any grievances informally, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees. Doing this allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues that cannot be resolved informally and deal with them fairly and consistently. See managing conflict: formal complaints procedures.

Conflict can arise at work for a number of reasons. For instance, two employees may have a personality clash, an employee may have a grievance against their manager, or a manager feels an employee is underperforming. Workplace conflict could also happen when there is a rivalry between teams or a lack of trust between workers and management.

Sometimes the signs of the conflict can be visible - for example, in an argument between colleagues, a meeting that turns into a stand-off, or when colleagues send angry emails to each other. Other conflicts can be harder to discover - for example, one team could withdraw from contact with the rest of the business, or there might be an increase in staff absence from work.

Signs of workplace conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees, and this may be demonstrated by:

• a lack of motivation - fewer people volunteer to take on new tasks, and there is little employee input at team meetings or briefings
• unpleasant behaviour - people start to make derogatory remarks towards each other and there are fewer social events organised
• falling productivity - there are likely to be more queries and complaints if people are not cooperating with each other
• increased sick leave and absence of staff - unhappiness may lead to depression or stress
• increased level of grievances from staff in a particular area/section

By spotting signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of:

• identifying the causes
• resolving the conflict
• reaching an agreement

Some managers will find it easier than others to pick up signs of conflict, and there is often an element of doubt.

As a manager you are more likely to be able to interpret the behaviour of your employees if you have regular channels for open communication and consultation. By listening to the views of your employees at an early stage - before issues become potential problems - you can gauge future reaction to proposed changes.

Employee feedback forms or questionnaires may also help you to understand the situation and stop future conflict arising - see preventing conflict.

Every employee has needs and certain expectations at work, and conflict could arise in the workplace when people feel that these are not being met or are being ignored.

What causes workplace conflict?

Conflict in the workplace could be the result of:

• poor management
• unfair treatment
• unclear job roles
• inadequate training
• poor communication
• poor work environment
• lack of equal opportunities
• bullying and harassment
• significant changes to products, organisational charts, appraisals or pay systems

Major causes of workplace conflict

Other major causes of conflict in the workplace include:

Personality clashes

The 'personality mix' within a team can be upset when a new member of staff joins or if two colleagues suddenly fall out. Individuals may also respond to difficult or challenging situations in an unhelpful or unproductive way.

Unrealistic needs and expectations

Conflict at work can often be caused when employers ignore the needs of employees or set unrealistic expectations. For example, arranging hours that make it difficult for employees to carry out childcare responsibilities.

Business values

Most people have very clear ideas about what they think is fair, and your organisation's procedures and policies must reflect this. For example, giving someone a fair hearing or explaining the reasoning behind a decision.

Unresolved workplace issues

For example, an employee might ask to be moved to another team because of their manager's 'aggressive' leadership style. However, the employee may have other reasons - for example, they may blame their manager for a lack of training or career progression.

Increase in workload

Sometimes workplace conflict is caused because people feel they are being pushed too hard and resentment sets in if they feel their workload is unmanageable.

Establish the root cause of workplace conflict

It is important to understand the root cause of an individual's or group's unhappiness. For example, a person in a team may seem to be struggling with an unmanageable workload, but they may be resentful of another employee who appears to have less work to do. It may also be a result of organisational changes, restructuring, or promotions given to other staff.

To help you manage workplace conflict, look at the previous relationship between the employee and their manager, and their peers for signs of past conflict and feelings that may influence them.

Prevent workplace conflict

You can put policies and procedures in place to help prevent and manage workplace conflict. For more information see preventing conflict.

Coping with change

Change can make employees feel vulnerable and uncertain, as they worry about their future career prospects. Therefore, managers should communicate and consult with employees about future changes so that they don't feel alienated and raise grievances.

Read more on change management.

To minimise and prevent conflict in the workplace, you should try to learn as much as you can about why conflicts occur and develop processes to help you address them. Common action points that employers should consider are:

• developing a strategy for managing conflict with managers, employees, and your representatives
• having sound policies and procedures in place
• explaining plans for change and plans for training to managers and employees to make everyone feel involved
• listening and consulting with employees on decision-making - see inform and consult your employees
• rewarding fairly with pay or bonus schemes - see implement staff incentive schemes
• ensuring work safety and managing the welfare of your staff
• ensuring that managers are properly trained and able to handle management responsibilities

Improving workplace conditions

You can also improve your working environment and develop interpersonal relationships by:

• valuing employees and thinking about the business culture of the workplace
• treating people fairly
• communicating the law on harassment and discrimination
• encouraging initiative
• balancing employees' personal and business needs
• asking Investors In People to assess your business and promote training and communication

Continued communication

It is also worth considering:

• regularly giving out employee feedback forms or questionnaires
• keeping regular channels of communication open
• knowing your employees' different personalities

See encourage feedback and ideas from employees.

Equality policies

Having a clear equality policy in your workplace may help to prevent feelings of unfair treatment, and so prevent conflict. Read more on equality and diversity workplace policies.

Conflicts in the workplace could occur between individuals or groups.

Workplace conflict between individuals

Conflicts in the workplace may arise between individuals because:

• of a clash of personalities, difference of opinion, bullying or harassment
• of an aggressive or weak management style
• some employees may feel others are treated more favourably

Managing conflict between individuals.

Workplace conflict between groups

Conflict in the workplace may arise between groups because of:

• team rivalry, disagreements, or resentment
• a 'them and us' mentality between large groups of employees and their managers
• resentment of senior management, poor morale, low motivation, disagreement over pay, health and safety, redundancies, and lack of proper consultation

Groups: patterns of behaviour

Groups of people in a team tend to display a certain pattern of behaviour. The American psychological Bruce Tuckman suggested there were four distinct phases of a group or team's development:

Forming

As the team or group begins to form, there is a gradual growth of personal exchange and contact. People seek to find out about one another, wanting to uncover attitudes, values, and style. This process continues until each person makes a decision concerning the character of his or her involvement. At this stage, the team may appear to be acting effectively, progressing with its tasks, and forming what seems to be a friendly comradeship between members. However, usually this condition doesn't run deep.

Storming

At this stage the team has to decide how it is going to operate. All too often this is done by team members jostling for position with little explicit planning. On other occasions the atmosphere will get tense as 'real' challenges are made. The most important aspect at the storming stage is control; how control is exercised and who controls the team. The team must settle the control issues if it is to proceed successfully.

Norming

Following the successful resolution of the issues surrounding control, relationships and role, the team begins to operate within the agreed levels. People will begin to want to work with others in the team, respecting the roles and contribution of key members. This is an important stage because the team needs the support and interest of all members. Otherwise, the team will fail to grow stronger and often reverts back to the storming stage at the first sign of difficulty.

Performing

The members of a fully established team develop rapport and closeness following the rules they have created. Team members are prepared to extend themselves for their colleagues and real enjoyment of the task at hand is typical. Informality is often a keynote of a team at this stage, but it is based on positive regard for each of the other team members and the rules of engagement. There is a strong feeling that others would be willing to help if needed. Roles of team members have been identified and each person's contribution is distinctive.

Managing conflict between groups.

When a workplace conflict arises, you should try to take a calm approach and not react in a challenging way. You should also not ignore the problem and hope that it will go away.

The best way to handle workplace conflict is to face it and have a planned approach to help you deal with it in a practical way. If you have policies or procedures in place, you can use these to determine how you approach the issue causing the conflict or to give your employee an idea of how you will address the problem.

Employee representative

It may help to have an employee representative and/or a senior manager who can help if:

• employees find it difficult to confront their managers and make a complaint
• you are not able to speak to each employee individually

Talk informally

You should allow everyone to clear the air and have their say. Employees need to know who they can go to when they have issues or problems and that they will be taken seriously.

Investigate formally

It is important that you make an informed decision by gathering information from everyone involved with the issue causing the workplace conflict. You should think about what would be the best outcome for everyone involved, including the business itself.

Use internal procedures

You should make sure that your grievance procedure is up to date and communicated to all staff, discussed at team meetings and at individual appraisals. These procedures will also help deal with issues such as bullying, absence and misconduct. See grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates.

Skills for dealing with conflict

Having one-to-one conversations requires sensitivity and empathy. You should always make sure that you:

• listen to what an employee says
• question them calmly to understand any underlying problems
• consider problems from a variety of perspectives
• lead by example
• comply with the latest employment laws
• have up-to-date policies on dispute resolution procedures

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) employer training programme provides both live and pre-recorded webinars on relevant topics such as handling difficult conversations and dignity at work. See LRA events.

Get external help and advice

Resolving personal conflicts can be difficult if you feel you are too close to the problem.

The LRA may be able to help by providing mediation. This involves an independent, impartial person helping two or more individuals or groups to discuss their problems and reach a solution that's acceptable to everyone.

Sometimes you do have to make difficult decisions about work practices, pay, and organisational rules and procedures, all of which may cause conflict in the workplace.

Effective and clear communication

You should ensure that all communication is relevant, concise, and delivered in a suitable way. Employees should be consulted before decisions are made. See engaging with staff.

Representative structures

If you can't talk to each person individually, set up 'sounding boards' of employee representatives such as:

• Working groups to consider issues such as absence levels
• Staff councils or consultative committees to look at issues like new products and training
• Trade union representatives to negotiate terms and conditions of employment - in particular pay, hours and holidays are matters in law that must be discussed with any trade union recognised by the business. There can be legal repercussions if the trade union is bypassed in such a context. See work effectively with trade unions.

See working with non-union representatives.

Dispute resolution procedures

It is also useful to have an agreement with your employees' trade union on how to resolve workplace conflicts in a systematic way. An agreement will generally cover:

• scope of who is covered by the agreement
• general principles and shared aims
• subjects for discussion
• stages for resolving a dispute
• third party involvement and when you will ask for external help

External help and advice

Getting help early will give you more options for resolving conflict and more chances of reaching a resolution.

If you do ask for help, you should decide whether you want someone to:

• work with you to find your own solutions
• advise you on how to resolve the problem
• tell you what to do

For external help in resolving workplace conflicts, you can contact the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Workplace Information Service on Tel 03300 555 300. The LRA provides free, impartial, confidential, and independent information. See resolving workplace problems - LRA guidance.

Grievances are concerns, problems, or complaints that your employees raise with you. Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle them informally with their line manager, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees.

Having formal grievance procedures in place allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues which can't be resolved informally and to deal with them fairly and consistently. See:

• writing your grievance procedure
• grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates

Your rules and procedures should be set out in writing and comply with the Labour Relations Agency Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Failure to meet either of these requirements may result in extra compensation for the employee if they succeed in a tribunal claim.

Read more on handling grievances.

Conflict between members of staff can have a negative effect on the day-to-day working of your business. It could result in an employment dispute and even affect the health and wellbeing of your employees.

Tips to minimise workplace conflict

The following top tips will help you to manage relationships within your business and minimise conflict.

1. Spot the signs of conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees in several ways. These include a lack of motivation, unpleasant behaviour, falling productivity, and increased staff absence. Being proactive in spotting signs of conflict will help issues becoming a serious problem at a later stage.

2. Address conflict early on

By spotting the signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of identifying the causes and resolving the conflict. Some managers will find it easier than others to identify signs of the conflict but by addressing workplace conflict at an early stage you will prevent resentment from setting in amongst the affected parties and issues developing to a point where a resolution or common ground is much more difficult to find. See conflict between groups and individuals in the workplace.

3. Be aware of the causes of conflict

There are many causes of conflict including poor management, unclear job roles, inadequate training, lack of equal opportunities, and organisational change. Other causes include clash of personalities; increase in workload and needs and expectations not being met. See causes of conflict in the workplace.

4. Try to prevent conflict

As an employer, you should try to learn why conflicts occur and then develop processes to address them. Some areas to consider include developing a strategy for managing conflict, explaining plans for change, involving employees in decision-making, rewarding staff fairly, and ensuring managers are properly trained in conflict management and effective communication. It's also important to value employees, treat them fairly, encourage initiative, and try to balance employees' personal and business needs. See preventing conflict.

5. Have a formal grievance procedure in place

Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle any grievances informally, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees. Doing this allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues that cannot be resolved informally and deal with them fairly and consistently. See managing conflict: formal complaints procedures.

Conflict can arise at work for a number of reasons. For instance, two employees may have a personality clash, an employee may have a grievance against their manager, or a manager feels an employee is underperforming. Workplace conflict could also happen when there is a rivalry between teams or a lack of trust between workers and management.

Sometimes the signs of the conflict can be visible - for example, in an argument between colleagues, a meeting that turns into a stand-off, or when colleagues send angry emails to each other. Other conflicts can be harder to discover - for example, one team could withdraw from contact with the rest of the business, or there might be an increase in staff absence from work.

Signs of workplace conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees, and this may be demonstrated by:

• a lack of motivation - fewer people volunteer to take on new tasks, and there is little employee input at team meetings or briefings
• unpleasant behaviour - people start to make derogatory remarks towards each other and there are fewer social events organised
• falling productivity - there are likely to be more queries and complaints if people are not cooperating with each other
• increased sick leave and absence of staff - unhappiness may lead to depression or stress
• increased level of grievances from staff in a particular area/section

By spotting signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of:

• identifying the causes
• resolving the conflict
• reaching an agreement

Some managers will find it easier than others to pick up signs of conflict, and there is often an element of doubt.

As a manager you are more likely to be able to interpret the behaviour of your employees if you have regular channels for open communication and consultation. By listening to the views of your employees at an early stage - before issues become potential problems - you can gauge future reaction to proposed changes.

Employee feedback forms or questionnaires may also help you to understand the situation and stop future conflict arising - see preventing conflict.

Every employee has needs and certain expectations at work, and conflict could arise in the workplace when people feel that these are not being met or are being ignored.

What causes workplace conflict?

Conflict in the workplace could be the result of:

• poor management
• unfair treatment
• unclear job roles
• inadequate training
• poor communication
• poor work environment
• lack of equal opportunities
• bullying and harassment
• significant changes to products, organisational charts, appraisals or pay systems

Major causes of workplace conflict

Other major causes of conflict in the workplace include:

Personality clashes

The 'personality mix' within a team can be upset when a new member of staff joins or if two colleagues suddenly fall out. Individuals may also respond to difficult or challenging situations in an unhelpful or unproductive way.

Unrealistic needs and expectations

Conflict at work can often be caused when employers ignore the needs of employees or set unrealistic expectations. For example, arranging hours that make it difficult for employees to carry out childcare responsibilities.

Business values

Most people have very clear ideas about what they think is fair, and your organisation's procedures and policies must reflect this. For example, giving someone a fair hearing or explaining the reasoning behind a decision.

Unresolved workplace issues

For example, an employee might ask to be moved to another team because of their manager's 'aggressive' leadership style. However, the employee may have other reasons - for example, they may blame their manager for a lack of training or career progression.

Increase in workload

Sometimes workplace conflict is caused because people feel they are being pushed too hard and resentment sets in if they feel their workload is unmanageable.

Establish the root cause of workplace conflict

It is important to understand the root cause of an individual's or group's unhappiness. For example, a person in a team may seem to be struggling with an unmanageable workload, but they may be resentful of another employee who appears to have less work to do. It may also be a result of organisational changes, restructuring, or promotions given to other staff.

To help you manage workplace conflict, look at the previous relationship between the employee and their manager, and their peers for signs of past conflict and feelings that may influence them.

Prevent workplace conflict

You can put policies and procedures in place to help prevent and manage workplace conflict. For more information see preventing conflict.

Coping with change

Change can make employees feel vulnerable and uncertain, as they worry about their future career prospects. Therefore, managers should communicate and consult with employees about future changes so that they don't feel alienated and raise grievances.

Read more on change management.

To minimise and prevent conflict in the workplace, you should try to learn as much as you can about why conflicts occur and develop processes to help you address them. Common action points that employers should consider are:

• developing a strategy for managing conflict with managers, employees, and your representatives
• having sound policies and procedures in place
• explaining plans for change and plans for training to managers and employees to make everyone feel involved
• listening and consulting with employees on decision-making - see inform and consult your employees
• rewarding fairly with pay or bonus schemes - see implement staff incentive schemes
• ensuring work safety and managing the welfare of your staff
• ensuring that managers are properly trained and able to handle management responsibilities

Improving workplace conditions

You can also improve your working environment and develop interpersonal relationships by:

• valuing employees and thinking about the business culture of the workplace
• treating people fairly
• communicating the law on harassment and discrimination
• encouraging initiative
• balancing employees' personal and business needs
• asking Investors In People to assess your business and promote training and communication

Continued communication

It is also worth considering:

• regularly giving out employee feedback forms or questionnaires
• keeping regular channels of communication open
• knowing your employees' different personalities

See encourage feedback and ideas from employees.

Equality policies

Having a clear equality policy in your workplace may help to prevent feelings of unfair treatment, and so prevent conflict. Read more on equality and diversity workplace policies.

Conflicts in the workplace could occur between individuals or groups.

Workplace conflict between individuals

Conflicts in the workplace may arise between individuals because:

• of a clash of personalities, difference of opinion, bullying or harassment
• of an aggressive or weak management style
• some employees may feel others are treated more favourably

Managing conflict between individuals.

Workplace conflict between groups

Conflict in the workplace may arise between groups because of:

• team rivalry, disagreements, or resentment
• a 'them and us' mentality between large groups of employees and their managers
• resentment of senior management, poor morale, low motivation, disagreement over pay, health and safety, redundancies, and lack of proper consultation

Groups: patterns of behaviour

Groups of people in a team tend to display a certain pattern of behaviour. The American psychological Bruce Tuckman suggested there were four distinct phases of a group or team's development:

Forming

As the team or group begins to form, there is a gradual growth of personal exchange and contact. People seek to find out about one another, wanting to uncover attitudes, values, and style. This process continues until each person makes a decision concerning the character of his or her involvement. At this stage, the team may appear to be acting effectively, progressing with its tasks, and forming what seems to be a friendly comradeship between members. However, usually this condition doesn't run deep.

Storming

At this stage the team has to decide how it is going to operate. All too often this is done by team members jostling for position with little explicit planning. On other occasions the atmosphere will get tense as 'real' challenges are made. The most important aspect at the storming stage is control; how control is exercised and who controls the team. The team must settle the control issues if it is to proceed successfully.

Norming

Following the successful resolution of the issues surrounding control, relationships and role, the team begins to operate within the agreed levels. People will begin to want to work with others in the team, respecting the roles and contribution of key members. This is an important stage because the team needs the support and interest of all members. Otherwise, the team will fail to grow stronger and often reverts back to the storming stage at the first sign of difficulty.

Performing

The members of a fully established team develop rapport and closeness following the rules they have created. Team members are prepared to extend themselves for their colleagues and real enjoyment of the task at hand is typical. Informality is often a keynote of a team at this stage, but it is based on positive regard for each of the other team members and the rules of engagement. There is a strong feeling that others would be willing to help if needed. Roles of team members have been identified and each person's contribution is distinctive.

Managing conflict between groups.

When a workplace conflict arises, you should try to take a calm approach and not react in a challenging way. You should also not ignore the problem and hope that it will go away.

The best way to handle workplace conflict is to face it and have a planned approach to help you deal with it in a practical way. If you have policies or procedures in place, you can use these to determine how you approach the issue causing the conflict or to give your employee an idea of how you will address the problem.

Employee representative

It may help to have an employee representative and/or a senior manager who can help if:

• employees find it difficult to confront their managers and make a complaint
• you are not able to speak to each employee individually

Talk informally

You should allow everyone to clear the air and have their say. Employees need to know who they can go to when they have issues or problems and that they will be taken seriously.

Investigate formally

It is important that you make an informed decision by gathering information from everyone involved with the issue causing the workplace conflict. You should think about what would be the best outcome for everyone involved, including the business itself.

Use internal procedures

You should make sure that your grievance procedure is up to date and communicated to all staff, discussed at team meetings and at individual appraisals. These procedures will also help deal with issues such as bullying, absence and misconduct. See grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates.

Skills for dealing with conflict

Having one-to-one conversations requires sensitivity and empathy. You should always make sure that you:

• listen to what an employee says
• question them calmly to understand any underlying problems
• consider problems from a variety of perspectives
• lead by example
• comply with the latest employment laws
• have up-to-date policies on dispute resolution procedures

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) employer training programme provides both live and pre-recorded webinars on relevant topics such as handling difficult conversations and dignity at work. See LRA events.

Get external help and advice

Resolving personal conflicts can be difficult if you feel you are too close to the problem.

The LRA may be able to help by providing mediation. This involves an independent, impartial person helping two or more individuals or groups to discuss their problems and reach a solution that's acceptable to everyone.

Sometimes you do have to make difficult decisions about work practices, pay, and organisational rules and procedures, all of which may cause conflict in the workplace.

Effective and clear communication

You should ensure that all communication is relevant, concise, and delivered in a suitable way. Employees should be consulted before decisions are made. See engaging with staff.

Representative structures

If you can't talk to each person individually, set up 'sounding boards' of employee representatives such as:

• Working groups to consider issues such as absence levels
• Staff councils or consultative committees to look at issues like new products and training
• Trade union representatives to negotiate terms and conditions of employment - in particular pay, hours and holidays are matters in law that must be discussed with any trade union recognised by the business. There can be legal repercussions if the trade union is bypassed in such a context. See work effectively with trade unions.

See working with non-union representatives.

Dispute resolution procedures

It is also useful to have an agreement with your employees' trade union on how to resolve workplace conflicts in a systematic way. An agreement will generally cover:

• scope of who is covered by the agreement
• general principles and shared aims
• subjects for discussion
• stages for resolving a dispute
• third party involvement and when you will ask for external help

External help and advice

Getting help early will give you more options for resolving conflict and more chances of reaching a resolution.

If you do ask for help, you should decide whether you want someone to:

• work with you to find your own solutions
• advise you on how to resolve the problem
• tell you what to do

For external help in resolving workplace conflicts, you can contact the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Workplace Information Service on Tel 03300 555 300. The LRA provides free, impartial, confidential, and independent information. See resolving workplace problems - LRA guidance.

Grievances are concerns, problems, or complaints that your employees raise with you. Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle them informally with their line manager, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees.

Having formal grievance procedures in place allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues which can't be resolved informally and to deal with them fairly and consistently. See:

• writing your grievance procedure
• grievance and disciplinary procedures and templates

Your rules and procedures should be set out in writing and comply with the Labour Relations Agency Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Failure to meet either of these requirements may result in extra compensation for the employee if they succeed in a tribunal claim.

Read more on handling grievances.

Conflict between members of staff can have a negative effect on the day-to-day working of your business. It could result in an employment dispute and even affect the health and wellbeing of your employees.

Tips to minimise workplace conflict

The following top tips will help you to manage relationships within your business and minimise conflict.

1. Spot the signs of conflict

Conflict can have a negative impact on your employees in several ways. These include a lack of motivation, unpleasant behaviour, falling productivity, and increased staff absence. Being proactive in spotting signs of conflict will help issues becoming a serious problem at a later stage.

2. Address conflict early on

By spotting the signs of conflict early, you have a better chance of identifying the causes and resolving the conflict. Some managers will find it easier than others to identify signs of the conflict but by addressing workplace conflict at an early stage you will prevent resentment from setting in amongst the affected parties and issues developing to a point where a resolution or common ground is much more difficult to find. See conflict between groups and individuals in the workplace.

3. Be aware of the causes of conflict

There are many causes of conflict including poor management, unclear job roles, inadequate training, lack of equal opportunities, and organisational change. Other causes include clash of personalities; increase in workload and needs and expectations not being met. See causes of conflict in the workplace.

4. Try to prevent conflict

As an employer, you should try to learn why conflicts occur and then develop processes to address them. Some areas to consider include developing a strategy for managing conflict, explaining plans for change, involving employees in decision-making, rewarding staff fairly, and ensuring managers are properly trained in conflict management and effective communication. It's also important to value employees, treat them fairly, encourage initiative, and try to balance employees' personal and business needs. See preventing conflict.

5. Have a formal grievance procedure in place

Where possible, you should encourage employees to settle any grievances informally, but you should also have formal procedures available to your employees. Doing this allows you to give reasonable consideration to any issues that cannot be resolved informally and deal with them fairly and consistently. See managing conflict: formal complaints procedures.